Hand-seeder



(No Model.)

S. B. RITTENHOUSE.

HAND SBBDBR.

No. 386,497. Patented July 24, 1888.

NA PETERS. Photvumographar, wnmngwn. D. c.

firmen.

ATENT SILAS RITTENHOUSE, OF LIBERTY MILLS, INDIANA.

HAND-SEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,497, dated July 24,1888.

(No mndeLi To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sims B. RIT'rE-Nnonse, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Liberty Mills, in the county of Wa bash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand- Seeders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in broadcast hand-seeders in which a wheel is revolved alternately in opposite directions by means of a rod and a cord wrapped around its hub; and the objects of my improvement are to provide a hand-seeder with a slide having a curved segment removed from its operating end, second, to provide means on the wheelshaft for stirring the grain in the hopper; third, to provide the bearings of said shaft with oil-chambers contaiiing absorbents; fourth, to provide a distributer-wheel,of sheet metal, made in one piece with its wings, and, fifth, to provide means for guiding the operating-cord and for grasping the device, as will be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed ont in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top view of a handseeder having the seedbag removed, but otherwise constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, showing a portion of the seedbag. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same seeder. Fig. t is a perspective view of the bottom plate of the hopper. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of theupper bearing of the Wheelshaft. Fig. (5 is a vertical section of the distributer-wheel on line a; a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the guide for the operating-cord.

In said drawings, A represents the board forming the bottom of the seed holding bag B and the support for the operating mechanism. This board has a circular perforation, A2, near the front end for the seed to pass through. One-half of this opening is closed by a plate, C, secured to the under side of the board A, the opening in said plate being in the form of a half-cylinder having its curved portion c toward the rear, and its straight edge cIl at the front, and undersaid plate is placed the seedregulating slide D, having a curved segment removed from its front portion, and thereby producing a curved concave edge, d, to operate in connection with the straight edge c'l of the opening in the plate C to regulate the passage of the seed, so that whatever may be the size of the delivery-opening or the distance between the concave edge (l and the straight edge c, the widest portion of said opening will be adjacent to the shaft c of the distributer wheel F. rIhe upper portion of this shaft passes through the plate C and through an oilbox. f/, that is lilled with cotton waste to prevent the escape of the oil introduced therein through the oil-hole y* on the side thereof'. This box has two arms, g', perfo rated at the ends to receive screws, by which it is fastened to the under side of the board A, these arms f/ serving also as supports and guides for the slide D. A metal strap, `r/, is also placed under the slide,close to the curved edge c of the plate C, to support the slide at that point. The slide D is supported and guided at the rear by the said shield II and by the head of ascrew, It, passing through a slot, d?, in said slide.

The lower end of the shaft c is guided by a bracket, I, preferably of metal, secured at 'L' to the bottom of the board A and at i2 to the lower edge of the shield H. In the forward end of said bracket an oil-cup, ii", is formed and filled with absorbent material to retain the oil,the shaft c passing therethrough. The upper end of said shaft is bent to one side at c to stir the seed in the bag B, and below said bent portion, and nearly in contact with the plate C, a pin, k, passes through said shaft and is sufficiently wrapped around it to prevent its escape. The ends of said pin L' project sut'- ficiently over the segmental opening in said plate() to prevent its becoming clogged by the passing seeds, whatever may be their nature. Upon the shaft c is secured the hub F2 of the distributer-wheel F. This wheel is of peculiar construction. Heretofore it has generally been made of a disk suitably cut at the edges with ribs or ledges soldered thereon, and required many soldered seams that often come apart under the blows they receive from the grain projected thereby; but this wheel F is pressed from one piece of tin with its ribs or ledgesf'integral, the latter being a part of the same piece doubled and bent over in a suitable press, and therefore the ribs cannot fall apart IOC from the wheel. There is no sharp edge at the top of the rib, no iianged edge at the bottom, and therefore much less danger of inutilating or damaging seeds and grain.

To revolve the distributer-wheel, a rod, L, provided with a handle,L-2,and tip L3,of usual form, is used in connection with a cord, Z, secured to these parts at both ends, said cord being wrapped at least once around the hub F2, said rod and cord being moved back and forth under the wheel F across the path traveled by the operator. To direct the rod L and the cord Z, so that the latter will remain nearly centrallyof the height of the hub,a belt-guidati, is secured to the bracket I, preferably piv otally, by means of a rivet, m, so as to give some latitude to the swing of said rod and cord. This belt-guide M has two branches, m2, that extend on the side of the hub F2, and these branches have perforations m for the passage of the rod L and slots m for the passage and guidance of lhe cord Z. These slots are preferably closed at the ends; but they may also be open at their outer end, and the metal may also be removed between said slots and the perforatious mi; and although I prefer to make thebelt-guide pivotally connected to the bracket I, it may be rigidly attached to or form part of said bracket.

To prevent any shock ofthe handle L2 or of the lip Li against the bracket I or the beltguide M,a double spring, N, is placed upon the rod L adjacent to said bracket. The two coils of said spring are united by a link, a, made integral therewith and passing under said bracket, so that neither one can be misplaced and sepai ated.

To facilitate the retention, of the device against the body of the operator, it is provided with ahandle, P, that is secured thereto, preferably by a bolt passing through the shield H. NVithin convenient distance of the thumb of the operator, grasping said handle, extends the end of a rod, q, connected with the seedregulating slide D, so as to close the dischargeopening when the operator stops operating the wheel. This rod is pivoted at q2 to the bottom of the board A, and passes through a lug, d, pendent from said slide, and adjacent to its free end it enters in a notch formed in the bottom of a stop and guide, r, that is adjustably secured to the bottom of the board A by a thumb-screw, o, passing through a slot therein. The slide l) is provided with a division-scale, cZ, as usual, to properly set it for any seed that may be used in the machine.

Having now fully described my invention, I claiml. The combination of the bottom board of a seeding-machine, having the opening A2 therein, the bottom plate, C, having a semicircular opening, and Ithe slide D, having its front edge, cZ, concave, with the distributerwheel, its shaft passing through the plate C,

and the stirrer la thereon, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the bottom board, A, having an opening therein, the bottom plate, C, and the seed-controlling slide, with the distributer-wheel and its shaft, having the stirrer 7c thereon, and its upper end bent to one side at e, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the bottom board, A, the bottom plate, C, the oilcup g under said plate, the distributer-wheel and its shaft, and

the bracket. l, having an oil-cup therein for said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The distributer-wheel F, of sheet metal,

having the ribs or ledgesf, of two thicknesses, bent up and folded together therefrom and integral therewith, the angles formed by said ribs with the body being the saine on both sides of said ribs, whereby the soldering of ribs upon the body of the 'wheel is dispensed with, and said wheel can be revolved alternately in opposite directions and identical results obtained from said ribs, substantially as described.

5. The combination ofthe distributer-wheel, its shaft and supportiiig-bracket, with the operating cordguide slotted for the passage of said cord and secured to said bracket, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the distributer-wheel, its shaft and supporting-bracket, and its operating-rod L and cord Z, with the rod and cordguide M, pivotalily secured to said bracket,substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of the distributor-wheel, its shaft and under bracket, and the operating-rod L and rod-guide,with the double coilspring N upon said rod on the sides of said guide-rod, and a connecting-link, n, integral with both coils of said spring and passing under the bracket and rod-guide to unite said springs, substantially as described.

8. The combination ofthe distributer-wheel, the shield, and the bottom board of a handseeder, with a handle, P, secured to the shield ot said seeder.substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination of the bottom board,A, and handle P on one side thereof, the graincontrolling slide D, having lug di integral therewith, and the rod q, pivoted to the board A, and passing through said lug and extending` beyond the board Atoward the handle P, with the adjustable stop-guide i', substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof [affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SILAS B. RITTENHOUSE.

Witnesses:

E. E. MAssoN, HARRY L. AMER.

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